After BCCI, is it the turn of other national sports federations to clean up? The Supreme Court's decision to accept the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee on good governance in the cricket board could have a ripple effect on sports administration in the country, feels eminent sports law expert Vidushpat Singhania of Krida Legal.

“The Union sports ministry has been insisting that the Indian Olympic Association and NSFs adopt the universal principles of good governance but they have resisted all attempts saying that such stipulations impinge on their autonomy. They have argued that the government did not have the power to implement the
principles, considering the autonomous pyramid structure of sports.Even the Delhi High Court's ruling in 2014, which upheld the validity of the National Sports Development Code and said that the government can insist upon its adherence without the aid of legislation, has been challenged in the Supreme Court,“ Singhania told TOI.

“But now the Supreme Court has, to a large extent, put to rest the debate and has made it clear that all public activities by sport federations are being undertaken by the tacit concurrence of the Union and state governments and that they could take over or regulate them.“

Singhania, who has played a key role in the committees headed by former Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and
Justice CK Mahajan to formulate the National Sports Development Bill and the Code, said that Monday's judgement could pave the way for the Union and the State governments to impose similar measures pertaining to good governance.

“It could be the ripple effect needed to clean up sports in the country,“ he said. “The government and its committee drafting the Code and the Bill, should take confidence from the SC verdict and should renew their endeavour to clean up Indian sports.“

Singhania said that some of principal objections raised by IOA and NSFs can be effectively countered now.“The IOA and NSFs have objected to stipulations pertaining to age and tenure, restrictions on ministers to be part of sports federations, permission
for government servants to be part of sports federations, mandatory requirement of an all-India spread and compliance with the provisions of the Right to Information,“ he said.

“With Justice Lodha and the Supreme Court endorsing all of the above, it seems unlikely that a challenge by certain sport federations to these provisions of the code is going to succeed. This is the time for the government to act. It could consider making some of the provisions pertaining to age and tenure stricter. The tenure could be reduced to a maximum of three years instead of four that is currently stipulated.“

Also, according to Singhania, the time is ripe to consider revenue from legalising sports betting. “It is similar to the lottery fund in the UK,“ he said.